WHETHER you are renting for the first time or are an experienced tenant, renting a property can present challenges for the unprepared.

ARLA Propertymark, the trade body for letting agents, has come up with a common-sense checklist to help make the experience a happy one.

- Decide what you can afford before you start house-hunting. Remember you will also have to budget for household bills including gas, electricity and water, broadband, TV licence, contents insurance and council tax.

- Choose your housemates carefully. Conflicting lifestyles and personality clashes can cause misery and stress. Remember, a fun friend is not necessarily a good housemate.

- Make sure you take your time and read the contract thoroughly. Ask as many questions as you want to, until you’re comfortable you understand everything. If you’re not happy, ask for changes.

- After you sign the contract, you must be given a copy of your new home’s gas safety certificate (if it has gas), Energy Performance Certificate, the Government’s How to Rent guide, and your deposit protection certificate.

- Smoke alarms are required on all floors, and carbon monoxide detectors in any room where solid fuels are burnt, such as wood, coal or biomass. These need to be tested and working on the first day of the tenancy.

- Notify utility companies and give them meter readings, your move-in date and the names of all the new tenants. Make sure you also have contents insurance for your belongings; the landlord is required to insure the building and their own contents.

- Don’t be afraid to report repairs to your landlord or agent. It’s much easier, faster and cheaper for your landlord to fix an issue when you first notice it. Also, if you’re going away for more than a couple of weeks, tell your landlord or agent so they can keep an eye on the property.

- Finally, make sure you give the property a thorough clean before you move out and leave it in the same condition as the day you arrived.